Skylarking

An old friend of mine and his father were into XTC, but I never listened to them. Let me say: what a fucking album. It flows together incredibly, the sound is somewhere between Genesis, The Beatles, and Duran Duran, and this thing has hooks for days. Blown away, really. Favorite tracks: "That's Really Super, Supergirl", "Ballet for a Rainy Day", "Earn Enough for Us"

Moderately enjoyable but pretty forgettable

Honestly, they’re just kind of a mediocre Tears for Fears

This is that album for me. This is that album that changed everything. I was around 13. I liked music but the only thing I listened to or bought on my own was the Beatles. They were everything. Then one day I’m listening to the radio, with little real interest, and I hear a song called Dear God. The subject blew me away, the music blew me away. You could sound Beatlesque yet modern and have doubts about the existence of God? I had to know more. Skylarking became the first non- Beatles related album I ever bought. I pretty much became a zealot overnight. I had to know everything I could about this band. Magazines, fanzines. To my amazement, holy $&!+, they’ve been around since I was 5? Okay then what did their other albums sound like? I bought the album of singles that was out at the time: Waxworks. The whole thing Blew. Me. Away. There was definitely a progression to how they sounded but I loved every one of those songs. As quickly as my ability to save up money would allow, I’d buy a new XTC album. Soon I had them all. XTC were easily my favorite band. And don’t get me started on The Dukes of Stratosphear. But it wasn’t enough. I needed more. Suddenly music was the best thing ever. What else was there. The Kinks? Yes. Ate them up. David Bowie? Delicious. I need more. Elvis Costello? Absolutely, it’s so brilliant. Sex Pistols? What the F#<% is this noise? It’s crazy awesome is what it is! Oh snap! There’s a super cool movie about the super cool, awful bass player? It has a soundtrack? Who are the Pogues? Punk is here to stay, man. Give, give, give, me more, more, more. Then the ultimate side quest to find out about Goth music. Thousands of records, tapes, cds, etc later it still comes back to Skylarking. I will still listen to this probably weekly? monthly?, more during the summer for sure. Every song is perfect. A story about the cycle of a day, a life, from the mundane daily life to metaphysical theoretical soul searching, to death and beyond. It’s the beauty of it all, the sadness of it all, the meaning of it all, the meaninglessness of it all. And for me, it was the start of it all.

“Skylarking” by XTC (1986) First time listen for this album and group. The question is, which album am I listening to here? The original vinyl release (without “Dear God”), the updated release (with “Dear God” but without “Mermaid Smiled”), or one of several digital re-releases which have “Dear God” in various positions among the last four tracks (or simply tacked on at the very end in the Spotify version)? For a concept album, it makes a huge difference, especially since “Dear God”, “Mermaid Smiled”, and “The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul” are the three most interesting songs on the album. What we have here is twelve pathetic attempts to sound like the Beatles, supplemented by three works of genuine creativity. In terms of sound, this album lacks melody, coherence in chord progressions, and meaningful lyrics. It’s tough to make up for these huge deficiencies with innovative color, but they try. The end result is like a palette without a canvas. “Dear God”, despite all the “controversy”, is a sophomoric and self contradictory squeal about the problem of evil as evidence against the rationality of belief in God. There are much better treatments of this theme in contemporary music (John Lennon’s “God” on “Plastic Ono Band”, for argument-ending instance). I wonder if Virgin intentionally created the controversy as a marketing strategy. Now, “Mermaid Smiled” and “The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul” are definitely worth listening to, despite the extraordinarily weak vocals. But two tracks do not an album make. 2/5

XTC released a lot of memorable records in the 80's and Skylarking might be their masterpiece. It's a lush sounding album that highlights the band at their height of creativity. Not a record full of hits, it's a consistent, solid album that flows beautifully and Dear God is one the most interesting (and greatest) songs the band has ever produced!

I listened to it twice. I want to have an opinion but I just can't make myself form one.

basically every track on this album is "X but worse" whether it's the beatles, bowie, whatever. the only really good song wasn't even on the album at first.

Very cohesive psychedelic pop, I love albums that have smooth transitions, and the first side of this album is some of the best I've heard. The B-side is a lot more inconsistent in both sound and quality, but it's still good enough to be one of my favourites.

So fun and so 80s; absolutely incredible instrumentally

This is a little too cutesy for me, but it reminds me of the first two Eno records in a way, so it’s got that going for it, which is nice.

For there to be above average music some music must be below average. This band makes the normal distribution work. Not bad music, but the singer sounds like being rick rolled for 49 minutes, the instruments, especially the piano have some fun riffs, but its not enough to save it.

New wave/pop album with only one exceptional song, tragically standing out in comparison to the rest of the album. XTC isn't a well known band, it doesn't have any strong position in any genre, and hasn't done anything revolutionary for music progression. In my opinion, the whole album actually feels like a filler for the single Dear God, which is a really good song, probably causing controversy even nowadays. Very smart lyrics and accompanying beats and melodies work amazing on this song, it's something I'm going to revisit every once in a while. Meanwhile, the rest of the album is totally anonymous. Nothing stands out, nothing caught my attention. There has to be something that I am missing, because there is no chance that Skylarking is on this list only for the song Dear God. Well, maybe time will tell, but at the moment the rating won't be too high.

For the longest time, XTC was "bad Tears For Fears" in my mind, and I never actually sought to listen to them outside of Dear God; listening to this has kind of reinforced that idea, and Dear God isn't even *great*.

Shame, I really wanted to like this. XTC have done some brilliant stuff; 'Love on a farmboy's wages' is still one of my very favourite songs after 30 years and I play several of their other singles regularly. This album was entirely unknown to me and I'm disappointed - I was hoping to discover some new gems. Maybe it needs more time to grow but in comparison to the obvious immediacy of their other work, it seems pretty weak. Some occasional nice stuff, but only serving to highlight how poor the rest is.

XTC's best album in my humble opinion, and from an illustrious discography too. Shedding the new wave of their earlier days, this album dives fully into psychedelic pop delights, in a send-up to the various styles of The Beatles and The Beach Boys. The songwriting, the production, and the album flow are all on point - a delight all around.

At 14, this album changed the trajectory of my musical taste for a lifetime. For those who have never heard of XTC or Skylarking, oh what I would give to borrow your ears to allow me to hear it for the first time again. Tips: Headphones: Always Edition: Steven Wilson Remaster Track Listing: Original (-Dear God + Mermaid Smiled)

Okay, I like a lot of music. I LOVE XTC. They gotta be at least a top 5 for me. “That’s really super, supergirl” is a favorite for me. I love the subject matter, very witty story telling, and overall the chorus’s melancholic tone ties the whole song together. “Don’t mean to be rude, but I don’t feel super. Supergirl”. Amazing stuff, love it. Grass, and ballad for a rainy day are also great songs. Gotta be a close first pick album from XTC for me.

Great songs, great production. Impeccable record

5/5. Every song on here is just so well written and catchy, front to back no skips. The album feels like a concept album but is mostly songs about life and death, not a specific one. I have listened to this album a few times before already and each time a different song stands out. There is a sense of naivety with Dear God but it honestly feels just very direct about its intentions and says just the right things to be valid in its conclusion. The many other songs are excellent of course, but it's always so funny the reactions to that specific song because there really is no argument, they are just upset someone is providing facts. Seeing that on the wiki article about riots because of the song was hilarious. Best Song: Dear God, 1000 Umbrellas, Grass, Sacrificial Bonfire

An awesome album and XTCs best in my book...and that's saying something. This album is legendary for the acrimony between band and producer, Todd Rundgren. Apparently Andy Partridge and Rundgren were at each other's throats throughout the sessions. I don't know what the source(s) of the conflict were, but if music this inspired is the result then it was well worth every hurt feeling and acrimonious gesture. This is the album where XTC picked up the gauntlet of best British Psychedelic Pop band since the Beatles threw it down oh so many years ago. And I feel like Rundgren plays no small part. Favourite songs; Grass, Supergirl, Ballet for a Rainy Day, the jazzy The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul, the brilliant Dear God (which was not included on the original release and frankly seems a little out of place with the albums theme) and Sacrificial Bonfires. But really pointing out individual songs defeats the point of this album as every song is a little pop gem that deserves rapt attention. No brainer 5 stars.

This is one of the best pop albums I've ever heard. This kinda thing is why I do this 1001 album challenge; to find albums I'd never find otherwise. I don't ever listen to music like this, so I never would have found this alone. It's fascinating how so many songs are so catchy and yet so unpredictable; the melody often wanders to places you don't expect. It's quite refreshing to hear pop music that's actually interesting. reminds me of The Seeds Of Love by Tears for Fears

incredible album, every song was banger after banger 10/10

Everything pop could be. Amazing.

This album is just flat-out fun to listen to. It’s like a blend of Sgt. Pepper’s, Pet Sounds, and a splash of Selling England by the Pound. What really makes it special is the flow.. each song moves seamlessly into the next, as if the whole record were one coherent composition. My favorite XTC album by far.

Corny lyrics are the bitter taste of the XTC pill. Once you get past that first unpleasantness, there’s a lot of meaning to appreciate, and the excellent songwriting with its layered instrumentation really starts to shine through. The lesson for today? Sometimes it pays off to let a guy get a lil goofy with it. Standouts: Summer's Cauldron • Grass • That's Really Super, Supergirl • Ballet For A Rainy Day • Big Day • Another Satellite

This was a hard one to rate. It interests me more than Apple Venus, but as with that one I feel you could trim the end and lose nothing. However, I found these songs to be a little less silly and a little more engaging. The first five or six songs are an absolute 5/5. The production is extremely crisp as well.

Oh great! I remember the song Dear God from back then and I remember liking it. I never knew that it was a dilemma whether to include that song on the album or not. I never got the chance to hear any albums from these guys so it’s great to finally listen to one and this one is pretty great! So creative and progressive! Great songs with great chord progressions! I can see once again how an album like this back in the day would be more of a college radio staple rather than on mainstream radio. Listening to this was so enjoyable that I definitely need to check out the rest of their catalogue!

I know XTC -kinda. Then I read a review that said XTC is the best. Listener rhapsodized about life after hearing XTC. I was sold so I listened carefully. Thanks to that listener I have a whole new appreciation for XTC. Yes-this is a sweet happy album. A great mood lift!

I've always liked Making Plans for Nigel, but for some reason have never listened to anything else from these blokes. I'm really enjoying this album, and now I'm interested in hearing the rest of their catalog. This is a quirky, yet palatable album. No doubt, this is a unique sounding album for 1986. Great instrumentation and cool vocals. Ballet For A Rainy Day stood out to me. It had it all, and I liked how it flowed into the next song, which was a nice song with strings. Season Cycle sounds like a Self song. Hell, so does the next song. I can hear their influence on Mahaffey. This was such a wonderful album. I'm having a difficult time finding anything wrong with it, and it aroused my sensibilities throughout. I guess the first couple of songs weren't as good as the rest of the album, so I'm giving this a 4.

I was clearly in the right frame of mind for this because I loved it. Why haven't I listened to more XTC?

This is weapons-grade levels of British pop whimsy on display here - fortunately I'm totally into that shit :) Also Dear God was apparently not meant to originally be on this, and they added it later once it was successful - and that definitely tracks, it doesn't quite fit with the rest of the album (but what a tune it is)

Such an interesting and fun album about nature, love, and simpler times from 80z gems, XTC. I love GRASS! Multiple other favs on this cool album are The Meeting Place, Ballet For A Rainy Day, Season Cycle, Earn Enough For Us, Big Day, and Dying. I remember when single Dear God first got air play and I was like "wow!" and "what?" Still such a unique and thought-provoking song. XTC continues to be a band one can get deep into. Sometimes at first listen it's easy to miss something. Look at all of these 80z bands standing out from this list. So excellent!

Not a bad album, I did find it a bit boring and sleepy in some places but there was good stuff on here, the last few tracks were fantastic! Favorite Tracks: The Main Who Sailed Around His Soul, Dying, Dear God, and 1000 Umbrellas.

A lot to chew on with this one. I can honestly say I’ve never heard a band with a sound quite like theirs. I was sometimes entranced and sometimes bored, but I was never not fascinated by their originality. Very much worth hearing, and even worth re-listening, even if I’m not a huge fan of it at the end of the day. Best song: Season Cycle

I like the earlier XTC, especially their upbeat singles, full of catchy tunes and nervous energy. This, though, I find less to my taste; just a bit too polit and deliberately crafted. Someone once said that XTC, as they progressed in their career, their two main themes were semi-pastoral idylls and the travails of the down-trodden breadwinner. And their tone is often leavened with a sort of snarky "I'm the smartest man in the room" energy. This vibe often leaves a bitter aftertaste, and is especially apparent in "Dear God", to an extent that even Andy Partridge thinks is a bit too much. It's like Christopher Hitchins wrote a pop song. I can't fault the pop craftsmanship and production. The animosity between Andy Partridge and Todd Rundgren is legendary, but it hasn't hurt the record any, at least as far as I can tell. That said, the Colin Moulding songs are the ones I enjoy most ('Grass' especially). Generally, I find this type of middle-aged, willfully domestic-scale chamber pop just a bit too polite for my tastes. I love the Fossil Fuel: XTC Singles Collection 1977-1992. That is a compilation of 31 really fantastic tracks from go to whoa. Skylarking is a pleasant a listenable album, superbly crafted and played, but not a record I would choose to spin on any given day.

It's fine, but feels mostly derivative of stuff I've heard a thousand times

Outdoorsy.

Vocally, there's some hint of the same back-of-the-mouth-bounce-from-the-roof Curt Smith (which can be traced back to the Beatles) but musically this album is everywhere in both good and bad ways. Starting with the good, the mix of instruments and callback to the rock of the 60s make for a 'modern' take on the genre, which is great for 1986. "Season Cycle" is a fair example in a song that one could expect to hear from the B-sides of a Beatles album, or a forgotten Paul McCartney experiment. As far as interesting songs, "1000 Umbrellas" takes the podium for this. Bright, a bit funky, it stands out and prevents the album from being monotonous or held prisoner by a decade. The bad, and this is subjective of course, is that the album is quite literally everywhere. There is not really a theme, or any kind of pattern that an album can usually convey. It is quite literally an album of songs, rather than a cover to cover story. Maybe this is where XTC only enjoyed moderate success here, in that the album just lacked something to really grab onto. Unless a song is particularly exceptional, it is hard to buy an album without at least one or two non-negotiable songs. Objectively, this is album is really good work and if listened to as a compilation, could even be called excellent. The problem is that realizing this could be too little too late for a lot of listeners. "Another Satellite" is a great song and probably the most identifiable as being an 80s sound consistent with the British offerings the world would get a la Tears for Fears, arguably the reason why XTC gets undeservedly, yet understandably overlooked. Until we get to "The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul" which seems to rudely interrupt the non-existent monotony by introducing a tone change entirely. The best news is that this album scores 3/5 in that it makes a case for being on this list, but the not so great news is that should it ever get bumped in favor of some other album the protest would probably be minimal.

I have a lot of time for XTC and Black Sea, Drums and Wires and English Settlement are brilliant albums. Hope they come up later. I don't quite buy the 'late stuff is even better' - this has some lovely songs but it doesn't quite cut through, feels a bit 'classic' to me, though the occasional cut-through of the Wiltshire burr is always a joy.

Inoffensive very 60s but pretty bland

I think they created new major chords for this fucking album. It's so obscenely saccharin and gross to listen to that I can't go any more than 2 for it.

Not great. Kind of sounds like bad 2000s indies bands, so I guess they were ahead of their time.

Couldn’t really get a handle on this one. At times I was very on board and could hear shades of Custard, Ben Folds, even The Monkees. Quite whimsical and jaunty. At other times I was like “what even is this” and felt it was way too kitsch. I think I’d need to listen a bunch more to make up my mind but honestly wasn’t motivated enough to do that. Favourite songs were Grass and Mermaid Smiled. (2.5 stars)

A bit cliche for a 1986 album isn't it? Thought it was released in the 60s. Phoney Beatlemania...

My grandma has been wheelchair-bound for 6 years now. I decided to sit down and listen to this album with her; once “Dear God” started to play, she wheeled over to the speaker, picked it up, and threw it on the ground. She then preceded to wheel herself back and forth over the speaker, and, finally, emptied her catheter onto it. She’s never been happier.

Man, this was a cacophony of instruments and effects (i.e. birds chirping) that I did not need.

The thing I thought most while listening to this was "I wish I was listening to the Beatles", closely followed by "I wish I was listening to the Beach Boys." It's not a good sign if I'm mostly daydreaming about other music while listening to your album. Am I meant to be impressed that you managed to replicate the sound of the 60s in 1986?

silly silly stuff. show tunes adjacent frankly. i feel like this would be very appealing to a little kid. probably i could learn to like it if i listened to it enough but i am not gonna do that.

Like when you've had too many treats and nothing after that is satisfying but you're bored and there's still tons of desserts and candy to sitting out that will go bad in a few hours and you can't waste it and you just have to keep eating and keep telling yourself you feel good, but you haven't felt good for a while but you have to eat all of this right now or be killed but you're not willing to admit to yourself that death would be an improvement from this point.

I wanted to listen to anything but this. Just felt too much like other, better artists.

A little too twee for my liking. I felt like I should have been wearing full on tweed just to listen to it. It doesn't speak to me about the multi-cultural country I live in. Nature shit and Little England is overrated. The Kinks did this far better. The final Dear God track saved it for me.

Probably another example of British bias, this is an album by XTC, an English rock band. The title, "Skylarking," is based on the Royal Navy term for "fooling around" which is basically what this album is. Lighthearted and somewhat jaunty, this album doesn't really do anything well and can be considered like a discount Beatles cover band trying to sell original works. As many others have pointed out, "Dear God" is probably the best track on the album, and, ironically, is the one song left off the original album .

Am I in a Barnes & Noble?

proggy new wave for incels

"Upon release, Skylarking was met with indifference in the UK" same same

Could not wait for this one to be over. Chord progressions are all over the place. Vocals are weak. Someone else described it as bad Tears for Fears and that's spot on. Couple of decent songs but overall, not for me.

Terribly boring. Probably was never going to connect with this as 80s British pop isn't exactly my cuppa tea. I'm not convinced I'm hearing 15 distinct songs here. It all kinda blended together with the same sort of ideas but that's probably worsened by me getting bored of attentively listening due to the dullness. Production is good I can tell these guys care about the presentation of their sound but damn is 15 songs probably 10 too many tracks for me.

A disappointment to me, lifeless songwriting. Having grown up on Black Sea and English Settlement, and even the wildly inconsistent Mummer, I remember being let down by Skylarking upon its release. For a release by a beloved band, this is one I will continue to avoid.

This album is decent pop music and just fine for what it is. Todd Rundgren could have done them a favor and left his melodica at home. Has anyone, anywhere ever said, “Wow, that tune really had some jammin’ melodica?” “Big Day,” has excellent bass work. “Dear God,” is a good tune. We need more songs mocking the idea of imaginary space buddies. No wonder it was left off the first pressing, it hits too close to reality for some people.

Some parts of "Dying" remind me of early Floyd (I think?) especially with the vocals being quite dragged out and with the whiny/minor tones. Overall quite unremarkable. I guess it tries to go for a psychedelic sound but dosen't quite get there in my opinion. Feels quite constipated throughout, lots of tension built up without too much resolution. (Just realised this is the band Karims friend, Lucy, suggested).

Generic ‘80s music. Not horrendous, but I’ve heard way better versions.

A really strange album, not quite rock, not quite pop and not quite psychedelic - a real mix of all three with leanings towards the rock/pop side. Despite all of the issues they had with the recordings and the abundance of choices they had with their demos, XTC managed to capture the feeling of significant life milestones including birth, young love, family, labour, illness, death, sprinkled with moments of wonderment. Best: Dear God Worst: Dying 2.5 stars

some British nerds trying their hand at music closest to indie rock 2.5

Please respect my privacy at this time.

I did not need to listen to this before I died.

Like eating dry toast while watching a powerpoint presentation on paperclip sales

Not a fan at all. I felt like I was in a Children’s TV show.

This would be a good soundtrack for a new Austin powers movie

exhaustingly unremarkable. it's like new wave without synths so it doesn't even feel like they're having fun. not the worst album on the list but certainly one of the most unnecessary albums ever been made

1.zummer - 0 2. grazz - 0 3. meeting - 0 4. zupergirl - 0 5. ballet - 0 6. umbrellaz - 0 7. cycle - 0 8. enough - 0 9. big day - 0 10. zatellite - 0 11. mermaid - 0 12. zoul - 0 13. dying - 0 14. bonfire - 0 15. god - 0

Mumford & Sons cover Revolver. Not for me.

Hellish

Fun fact: Skylarking is a colloquial term for bumming

I like XTC's sound and when they find a hook for their songs. But too often their songwriting just meanders until it gets back to the catchy hook. That's fine unless the song doesn't have that hook. "Mermaid Smiled" is a perfect example of a hookless, meandering mess. "Earn Enough For Us", "Season Cycle" were decent songs. "Dear God" is just whining that seeks to blame somebody else for humans being assholes to one another due to our own folly and hubris. It became a hit simply because it gave d-bag, hipster college students the illusion that they were rebelling against their upbringing. Not so edgy.

Damn were the 80’s lame! Even the alternative pop scene was shit

basically 80s garbage, just not in the way you think

Any album that features a fire-breathing takedown of God himself (Dear God) can't be all bad, right? Well, no, but Skylarking still turns my stomach. Why? I should love Skylarking. After all, it's considered by many to be the best post-psychedelic pop album since Sgt Pepper's. (Actually, it's more like a curdled mixture of The Beach Boys and Joe Jackson with an overlay of Rundgren at his most cute.) On the plus side, Alan Partridge and Colin Moulding's melodies and song structures are idiosyncratic and unpredictable. The production by Todd Rundgren is lush. And yet. For me, the trouble begins with Alan Partridge's plummy vocals--it's that pasty, Anthony Newly theatricality so prevalent in the 80s--eccch. The songs structures may be unpredictable, but rarely has baroque pop had so little payoff. There's nothing I would ever hum here, although Earn Enough For Us comes close. It sounds like something Bob Mould might have written--too bad it's performed with none of his toughness. The production is overstuffed to no effect except nausea--it's like a bacon sandwich with maple syrup poured over it. XTC's stab at raga rock--Big Day--is especially bilious. And the self-importance and grandiose self-regard on display is enough to sink the project on its own. It's clear that XTC is going for a masterpiece--fat chance. Still, I've got to give them some credit on the level of craft--Skylarking must have been a mind-numbing amount of work to put together, although it's almost as much effort to listen to. And then there's Dear God. Not a great song by any means--it's too self-consciously pedantic for that--but at least it's fun.

No. Just no. Please please no. NEVER AGAIN

Pleasant album that I put on quite often. It's somewhat of a concept album, but all the songs stand on their own and are all well crafted. The inclusion of Dear God lifts it up a point for me, brilliant alternative song that for some reason isn't included on every version of the album.

Really enjoy this band. Melodic and catchy music. Understated musicians who are phenomenal to listen to.

I was unfamiliar with this album going in! I liked Grass, 1000 Umbrellas, Sacrificial Bonfire, Dear God. Again, this is one where I know what I like and I find myself getting more with each listen. High 4 low 5.

I know some XTC songs but hadn't heard this album before - and yet, as soon as it started, it felt familiar. It has that boppy, poppy, weird flair that I really love. Sounds newer than it is. Happy to have discovered it; this is an instant classic for me.

Wrote a terrible review of this so trying to do it justice. One of weirdest pop/rock albums of its time. Without this, there is no MGMT in my eyes so I appreciate it for that alone. There is, to me, a punk attitude in the songwriting but expressed with really beautiful and off kilter instrumental choices. The closest to feeling like you're on the titular band drug without being on it.

9/10 I really like XTC. The flavor works for me, I like how pop it is while being calm. Dear God is the best song on the record and has made its way on every play list I make. 10-15-2025

Maravilhoso! Já faz parte da minha vida há tempos.

Love this album bought it when it came out in 1986. Played dear god a million times

1986 England. Pop, rock, psychedelic. *****

Excellent album that I've listened to many times. The last track doesn't belong on it though.

It's my kind of music, being full of catchy pop songs mixed with experimentation, sound effects , studio/production tricks and plenty of colour/spice spice in the sounds. The music arrangements are top notch as are the vocal harmonies and the lyrics are evocative, often humourous. There's a bit of late summer/autumnal vibe throughout. And even though I didn't hear it as a kid in the 80s, I have this strange feeling of 80s nostalgia listening to it. I think it's a brilliant, evocative record although Andy Partridge's vocals are an acquired taste, I find it quite appealing.

Very Cool

Wow! I loved this one! I couldn't believe this was a rock album from the 80s; I think XTC was going for a 60s rock sound and they nailed it. I think the theme revolves around stages in life? The songs seem to follow someone's life from childhood to death, but I might be a bit off on that. Regardless, I know I'll be listening to Skylarking again, soon!

Surprisingly good. Never heard of them before.

Love this album so much already. Dreamy, summery and just wonderful

Who doesn't love doing this?

1985. I'm going to go ahead and hit it with the 5. This is one of the all time greats and the album I may have listened to more than any other. XTC at their prime

Great album. Ome of the best albums I've ever heard where the band is trying to sound like the Beatles. Great melodies and very crisp sound

I am absolutely fascinated by Skylarking. I can see why so many artists I like who seem off-kilter can point to XTC.

Actually amazing

Absolutely love this band and this album is one of their best.